I bought this truck in a deplorable state; many areas of rust, rotten wellside, rusty standard (and mismatched between years) steel rims, blown lights, cracked interior, leaking manifolds, retreaded tires from 1985 and so on. It was a pretty crap buy, even for 1500, and with hindsight I would have been better off to buy something already partially restored. But I'm in the thick of it now and there is no turning back.

Visiting Matakana Island, Puni's Farm. A very bad surf day, wouldn't want to advertise how good it really gets.

And finding out just how light the little beauty is once stuck! Notice my levering system needed only the weight of a fence post to lift the back end. Dug it out in 30 minutes using FCS G5 surfboard fins.

Rust has been cut out of many areas, from memory; the entire firewall sill, driver's and passenger's A pillars, driver's side windscreen frame, driver's footwell, driver's side rear end of cab and can mount area, the driver's seat mount frame, and the battery box (which I cut out and replaced with a fab'd up ford mondeo from the wrecker's yard).

An example of the rust... which was everywhere! So much so that I got over documenting it tbh.Untitled by SEAcylinders, on Flickr

Somebody covered the wellside in ply... not a good idea if you live in Raglan like the previous owner did. Pretty sure this was their harvest truck as the back was full of stems and cab, and they had a pretty swanky tray cover to hide the precious cargo from the piggies, if you know what I mean...Those bits of alloy plate have been riveted into plave as stoppers for all the BOG that on the tray. So heinous.Untitled by SEAcylinders, on Flickr

As well as that, I've reco'd all the brakes, it has drums on all four corners and was trying to pull me into the curb when I hit the stoppers, so I thought I should do something about it before I ran over some scooter kid while checking the surf. Cylinder seals were all shot and drums needed skimming, so I sent them away for skimming and replaced the cylinders and shoes. When the drums came back I gave em a lick of red caliper paint to boot. Didn't think to get a shot of the clean drums before they were hidden by my wheels. On the subject of wheels, the owner of the workshop taught me how to use his tire machine while fitting my new tyres and how to balance them after. This place is better than a damn polytech course!

Then I recored the radiator, as I didn't want some shitty alloy one falling apart on the Clyde st high-speed test, and a toyota genuine one was about the same cost as a set of gold teeth. Also I made my own bottom hose to the block as finding a new one that fit was impossible. Cut up two Gates radiator hoses out of a mitsi mirage or something...Untitled by SEAcylinders, on Flickr

And joined them together with this flash little piece if a Ducati's exhaust pipe.Untitled by SEAcylinders, on Flickr

I'll leave you with a picture of the tray being aligned on the back, more on that later... Cheers!Untitled by SEAcylinders, on Flickr

-C

_________________Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death… – Hunter Thompson

Thanks mate, yeah that's why I bought the little fella. Apparently the 1st and 2nd gens are the best built, with unbreakable diffs and motors etc. I guess Toyota made a winning call to build the Hilux brand with over spec'd units until they gained a following and subsequently began slowly decreasing the quality of materials used. Still excellent trucks no doubt, but I'd never drive a new one... they look like Korean utes, too much plastic chrome and styling. I dig the functionality of the early models.

I finished my work needed for a warrant of fitness today. Put in a new center bearing on the driveshaft, fixed an exhaust leak, and balance the drums now they've had a chance to get bedded in. Stoked! Tomorrow's a public holiday here so hopefully it'll be roadworthy by Thursday.

_________________Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death… – Hunter Thompson

Got a VTNZ WOF today! All my welds passed and the little thing is golden!Untitled by SEAcylinders, on FlickrUntitled by SEAcylinders, on FlickrI was so amped that I went out and spent a bit on presents for it. Got some of this, for making new seat covers ($20 p/m at Spotlight, really made in mexico and quite thick proper upholstery fabric)Untitled by SEAcylinders, on Flickr

It's only a pair but they were a great deal and they're 15x7 Enkei AP7's (or AP9 can't get a definite answer) so should look great on the ute. Now I just need something equally cool for the other two, not really phased if they don't match... could end up adding "character"

I supposed it remains to be seen if they will fit!

_________________Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death… – Hunter Thompson